Salary comparison
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education: Modesto vs Wenatchee
Modesto, CA pays about 0.3% more for middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education on paper — $101,250 vs $100,900. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Modesto comes out ahead by $350 a year in real buying power.
Modesto, CA
$101,250
$77,130
$122,800
$48.68
100
$101,250/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Wenatchee, WA
$100,900
$77,170
$103,590
$48.51
100
$100,900/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $350 a year (0.3%) in favor of Modesto. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Modesto runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Wenatchee sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Modesto is the better deal by $350 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Wenatchee to Modesto for this role, the raise needs to beat 0.3% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education earn more, Modesto or Wenatchee?
Modesto pays $101,250 on median — about 0.3% more than Wenatchee ($100,900). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Modesto. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Modesto gives you roughly$101,250 of real buying power versus $100,900 in the other city.